Introduction to Myanmar The politics of Myanmar confuse many of us (although few will admit it). Let’s start with the name. Some still call it Burma. This is the original name dating back to British colonial rule. However, its name officially changed in 1989 to Myanmar. At the time the United States refused to recognize... Continue Reading →
David Stasavage joins the podcast to describe early democracy and its decline before its reemergence in the modern age. He is a professor of politics at New York University. His latest book is called The Decline and Rise of Democracy. This was not a phenomenon to one specific region. This was nothing that got... Continue Reading →
Dorothy Sue Cobble joins the podcast to share the history of full rights feminists. Dorothy is the Distinguished Professor of History and Labor Studies Emerita at Rutgers University and the author of For the Many: American Feminists and the Global Fight for Democratic Equality. They wanted the full array of rights. Political rights, yes,... Continue Reading →
Daniel Carpenter joins the podcast to describe how the petition contributed to democratization in America in the 19th Century. We discuss his new book Democracy by Petition: Popular Politics in Transformation, 1790-1870. This is the 51st episode of the podcast. The idea of a political system is not simply to be efficient. It's to have... Continue Reading →
Kurt Weyland explains how the rise of communism and fascism made possible the proliferation of conservative authoritarianism during the interwar period. He is the author of Assault on Democracy: Communism, Fascism, and Authoritarianism During the Interwar Years. This is the 47th episode of the Democracy Paradox podcast. In the 19th century Europe had thought that... Continue Reading →
This is a reflection on Serhii Plokhy's The Origins of the Slavic Nations. Plokhy offers the definitive account on the origins of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Justin Kempf considers the implications of their history for how the nation and the state are considered. Dividing the Nation from the State The division between the nation and the... Continue Reading →
The definitive work on Belarus remains the work of Andrew Wilson. Published in 2012, his book Belarus: The Last European Dictatorship is the best source for its history including the rise of Alexander Lukashenko. The recent protests will likely spark new scholarship into Belarus, but they will all begin with this book for the foreseeable... Continue Reading →
Michael Hughes explains the history of democracy in Germany. Michael is a professor of history at Wake Forest University. He discusses his most recent book Embracing Democracy in Germany: Political Citizenship and Participation, 1871-2000. A History of Democracy in Germany The German Question haunted international relations for generations. Like China, it was a rising... Continue Reading →
Barrington Moore, Jr.'s classic work Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy continues to influence scholarship. Its publication in 1966 revolutionized how scholars thought about the relationship between economic, political, and social dynamics in the process of modernization. The reflection below is the work of Justin Kempf. The Origins of Democracy There is no single moment when... Continue Reading →
Paul Robinson joins the Democracy Paradox to explain Russian Conservatism. The conversation discusses how it has evolved over two hundred years to help understand politics in Russia today. Paul Robinson on Russian Conservatism The Russian interference in the 2016 American Presidential election brought Russia to the forefront of conversations about international relations. But it... Continue Reading →
